American Airlines and Hyatt are calling time on a loyalty partnership that once tied the two programs much more closely together.
The two companies announced Wednesday, September 9, that they have “mutually decided” not to continue their enhanced relationship, which currently gives AAdvantage and World of Hyatt members opportunities to unlock benefits across both programs.
The partnership had already been watered down considerably in 2025, when American and Hyatt eliminated reciprocal bonus earning on flights and hotel stays in favor of rewards tied to each program’s elite status qualification system.
Now, those benefits are going away, too.
For the moment, little is changing. Members can continue earning and redeeming eligible benefits through the current earning year, with parts of the relationship stretching into early 2027.
American and Hyatt Are Going Their Separate Ways
American and Hyatt have worked together since 2019. Initially, eligible elite members could earn bonus AAdvantage miles on Hyatt stays or bonus World of Hyatt points on American flights after linking their accounts.
That arrangement changed in 2025. Rather than earning bonus points or miles whenever they stayed or flew, members began unlocking benefits in the other program through AAdvantage Loyalty Point Rewards and World of Hyatt Milestone Rewards.
Those are the benefits now headed for the exit.
American and Hyatt issued nearly identical statements Wednesday, saying the decision came “after careful consideration.”
“We have mutually decided to not continue our enhanced relationship.”
The initial announcement didn’t offer much more explanation than that. But an American spokesperson provided Points Insider with some additional context, confirming that what it described as the “exclusive loyalty partnership” with Hyatt expires in November and won’t be renewed.
American said it’s focused on partnerships that provide AAdvantage members with “global scale and premium experiences” while also building relationships that are beneficial to customers and the airline’s financial outlook.
The reference to exclusivity is what sticks out.
Air Canada and Hyatt recently announced a new enhanced partnership between Aeroplan and World of Hyatt, giving members opportunities to earn rewards and access status benefits across the two programs.
We specifically asked American whether Hyatt’s new Aeroplan partnership played a role in the decision not to renew its exclusive relationship. The airline didn’t address that question.
Current Benefits Aren’t Disappearing Immediately
Members who already leverage the American and Hyatt partnership have some time before the biggest changes take effect.
AAdvantage members who link their American and Hyatt accounts by November 15, 2026, can continue earning World of Hyatt awards through AAdvantage Loyalty Point Rewards through February 28, 2027.
World of Hyatt members who link their accounts by November 15 can continue earning AAdvantage awards through Milestone Rewards through December 31, 2026.
Benefits already earned won’t suddenly disappear, either. Both companies say members will receive the usual amount of time to select an award after earning it.
One American and Hyatt Benefit Is Sticking Around
Not everything is going away.
AAdvantage members will still be able to earn 500 AAdvantage miles on eligible Hyatt stays after the broader relationship ends. Members can choose to earn the miles instead of World of Hyatt points by providing their AAdvantage number at check-in.
It’s a much narrower tie-up than what American and Hyatt once offered, but the two programs aren’t severing ties completely.
Why End the Partnership Now?
That’s still the big unanswered question.
American’s response offers a glimpse at what the airline wants from its loyalty partnerships, including global scale, premium experiences, and relationships that make financial sense. But it doesn’t explain why the Hyatt relationship no longer fits that strategy.
The timing of Hyatt’s new Aeroplan partnership, coupled with American’s description of its Hyatt agreement as exclusive, makes the question particularly interesting.
For now, though, there’s no confirmation that the two developments are connected.
And the practical impact won’t be immediate. Members have several more months to earn benefits before the relationship winds down, and the option to earn AAdvantage miles instead of Hyatt points will remain.
But the broader partnership has been shrinking for some time. It lost reciprocal earning in 2025, will lose its remaining cross-program milestone benefits over the coming months, and its exclusive contract expires in November.
This time, American and Hyatt aren’t renewing it.
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